WSP09419

• File Number: 8200.750
• Description: San Juan River General
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 6/1/1976
• Author: USFS
• Title: Final Environmental Statement for Timber Management Plan for the San Juan National Forest - June 1 1976
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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0029~3

manufacture such products as plywood.l!! matchsticks. houselogs. aspen wall ganeling and
posts. as well as lumber for building construction. The two largest mills1g7 each uSe about
30 million board feet!1! per year and employ a total of about 500 people.

The economics of communities throughout the Forest vary widely. The area surrounding Pagosa
Springs to the east is heavily dependent upon farming, ranching, logging, and sawmilling.
Recreation is gaining in importance, and a well-financed recreation oriented community is
developing in that area. In time, nonforest products oriented industries may be attracted
there by the community developers. The area is accustomed to seasonal shutdowns of the
forest products economY but has not been faced with long-term slowdown because of timber
unavailability.

The areas near Cortez and Dolores on the west end of the Forest are dependent upon farming,
ranching, logging, and the sawmill and plywood plant, with some seasonal recreation associated
with the National Forest and Mesa Verde National Park. There is a sawmill with an annual
production of about ten million board feet and a modern plywood plant with a production
capacity of about 35 million board feet. Prolonged shutdown of either of these mills would
have a significant effect on these two communities.

The town of Silverton to the north is not dependent upon forest product manufacture. Income
is derived from the summer operations of the historic narrow gauge railroad, restaurants.
shops, large mining operations, and various service operations.

4. Geolooy and Soils

The east portion of the Forest is comprised of layered volcanics in an area northeast of
a line between Pagosa Springs and Silverton. The central portion is comprised of sedimenta-
ries modified by volcanic flow rocks and intrusives overlying the granitic basement rock.
Granites and schists are exposed principally south and southeast from Silverton and north
from Durango. The west-central and west part of the Forest contains sediments and metasediments
with Some igneous intrusives (as in the LaPlata Mountains). The sedimentary rocks are
chiefly sandstones, limestones, and shales.

Economic minerelization occurred in several Districts, notably Silverton, Rico - Dunton,
and in the LaPlata Mountains extending eastward to the headwaters of Junction Creek. Mineral-
ized areas less notable include the headwaters of Hermosa and Barlow Creeks, Cave 8asin
District, Needle Mountains and East Mancos River. Silverton, Rico, Dunton, and the LaPlata
Mountains are Districts of comparatively .recent volcanic activity. Mining activities are
being conducted at each of the above named Districts except Dunton. Large acreages have
been located under authority of the General Mining Laws in the Pagosa Springs area for
radioactive minerals reported to occur in the Morrison Formation of the Jurassic age. Other
minerals of potential value are oil, gas and coal,'primarily in the westernha1f of the
Forest. Recently, limestone outcrops have been located based on the promise that a market
for limestone may develop for use in scrubbers to clean flue gases at the Four Corners
Electric Generating plant. Sand and gravel deposits in stream valleys and possibly some
glacial deposits that could be processed for sand and gravel exist in many areas of the
Forest.

Exploration, location, development and other mining activities on National Forest lands
are subject to the provisions of the General Mining Laws of 1B72, Mineral Leasing Act of
1920, Surface Rights Act of June 23, 1955 (P.L. 84-167) and regulations recently promulgated
by the Secretary of Agriculture (36 CFR 252). Certain mining claims located prior to July
23, 1955, were processed under P.L. 167 and, either by stipulation or adjudication, are
not subject to the control of the management and disposal of the vegetative surface resources
by the Government. .

11/ The Montezuma Plywood plant at Dolores has closed operations as of January 1976. It is uncertain
~at will become of this manufacturing facility. ThereFore, figures in this statement are as though
the plant was still In operation.

!g/ One of these mills is the Montezuma Plywood plant.

13/ Board Foot: A unit of measure of wood usually referring to lumber. One board foot equals a
PTece of wood One foot square and one inch thick. The average three bedroom wood frame home has
about 10,000 board feet of lumber in its construction.

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